Sri Lanka is a tropical country which is enriched with biodiversity. Forest products are a major sector in Sri Lanka's non-timber forest products (NTFP). All rights reserved: Bhagya karunatillake

1. Medicinal Plants as a Non
Wood Forest Product
Pabasara Gunawardane
Bhagya Karunathilake

2. “Each and every plant species
on the earth is a medicinal
plant”
-Jeewaka Katha Wasthuwa
Poojavaliya
1266AD

3. 8 plant species were
discovered with a
body of Neanderthal
who lived
about 60000 years
ago……

4. Medicinal plants
“A plant which has been used for medical
purposes at one time or another, and which,
although not necessarily a product or available
for marketing, is the original material of herbal
medicines.”
-World Health Organization
Guidelines for the Appropriate use of Herbal Medicines

5. Use of plants as
medicines was a
common practice in
Sri Lanka for more
than 6000 years...
-Ravana puwatha
-The Mahawamsa
-Robert Knox

6. Nearly 1500 species of
Medicinal plants have been
identified
189 of them are Endemic to
Sri Lanka

7. Few Medicinal Plants in Sri Lanka
Etdemata (Gmelina arborea)
Kumbuk (Terminalia arjuna)
Madan (Syzygium cumini)
Ankenda (Acronychia pedunculata)
Bakmi (Nauclea orientials)
Kokum (Kokoona zeylanica)
Kahata (Careya arborea)
Ingini (Strychnos potatorum) to purify
water in wells
Madan (Syzygium cumini) for treatment
of diabetes
Pus Wel (Entada phaseoloides) in ayurvedic
treatment
Attaa (Datra metel) for treatment of nerve
diseases
Kapukinissa (Hibiscus abelmschus)
Domba (Calphyllum inophyllum)
Kina (Calophyllum walkeri)
Mi (Madhuca longifolia) to extract
cholesterol free oil and cattle feed
Kohomba (Azadirachta indica) to extract
medicinal oil
Jayapala (Croton tiglium) as a laxative
Godakaduru (Strychos nux vomicca) to
extract strychnin
Myrabolams including Aralu (Terminalia
belerica), Bulu (Terminalia chebula) and
Nelli (Phyllanthus emblica)
Ranawara (Cassia auriculiformis)
Beli (Aegle marmelos)
Malitha (Woodfordia fruiticosa)
Malia (Bauhima racemosa)
And so on……

8. Some Threatened Species
Zeuxine regia
(Iru Raja)
Munronia pinnata
(Bin Kohomba)
Diospyros oocarpa
(Kalu Kudumberiya)
Xylopia nigricans
(Heen Kenda)
Impatiens repens
(Gal Demata)
Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora
(Katu Karosana)

9. Bio geographical region Number of species
Low country Wet zone 108
Low country Wet & Montane zone 40
Dry zone 148
Dry zone and Wet zone 189
Montane zone 25
Arid zone 2
Arid and Dry zone 7
Present in all regions 31
Total 550
Geographical distribution of indigenous medicinal plants of Sri Lanka
*Ekanayake, 1981

10. Forests with higher medicinal value
• Ritigala SNR
• Dolukanda
• Nellikele
• Rumassala
• Knuckles
• Adams Peak
• Rathugala Kele
• Galoya NP
• Palagala Namal
Uyana
• Kanneliya
• Nilgalthalawa

11. Medicinal Gardens in Sri Lanka
• Haldummulla
• Navinna
• Pattipola
• Giradurukotte
• Pallekele
• Nikaweratiya
• Pinnaduwa
Gardens Cultivated Acres
Haldummulla 65
Girandurukotte 165
Pattipola 25
Pallekele 05
Navinna 12

12. The national demand for
herbal materials is
3900MT approx.
(3,864,759 kg)
1500MT of this
amount is imported
(1,509,201 kg)
Locally Supplied Imported
60.9%
39.1%
*Mudalige et al

13. 72Major herbs are imported
cost of import is about
Rs. 13million
Annual demand for Medicinal plants
Monetary values of Medicinal plants

14. Collection and processing
• After receiving royalties, permits are issued by the Forest Department to
collect products from forest preserves
• the District Office issues permits to collect products from state forests not
managed by the Forest Department
• Non-wood forest products are almost exclusively gathered by local
entrepreneurs
• Little processing is done prior to their sale

15. Extraction of Medicinal Plants
29% Roots
16% Whole Plant
14% Barks
6% Leaves
6% Stems
4% Rhizomes
3% Heartwood
Flowers and Seeds

16. Extraction methods
Fell trees/ cut branches
◦ Aralu, Goraka, Nelli
Collecting roots
◦ Midi, Thotila, Palol
Collecting bark
◦ Madan, Bo Mee, Ashoka, Ehela
Uproot Whole plant
◦ Bin Kohomba, Weniwel, Sandalwood,
Kothalahimbutu
Tapping bark
◦ Gammalu
Oil
◦ Dorana, Mee, Endaru, Kohomba
Wax
◦ Kekuna
Resins (Dummala)
◦ Hal, Yakahalu

17. Employment, Marketing and
Trade
The level of employment in the medicinal plant sector is not recorded (In most cases if done
for trade)
Most families living close to the natural forests collect medicinal plants (mainly for their own
consumption)
There are also families that have traditionally been involved in the collection of medicinal
plants for the market
The collectors often belong to the poorest income groups in the village
Shops (Beheth Kada) selling indigenous medicinal items are found through out the country-
Supply the needs of both practitioners and patients
They also serve as the wholesale purchasers of collectors’ stocks.
Gabo’s lane in Colombo is the main purchasing and distributing center for the entire country

18. Employment generation and
social benefits
Collectors- collect and sell
Extractors- collect themselves or buy from collectors, extract (oil, powder) and then sell
most of Medicinal plants are obtained from natural forests, and some effort has been
made to assess the present stock
Although the legal protection of these species is well defined, illegal exploitation is
common mainly because of the high demand for these products
As a result, some species are almost extinct

19. Employment generation and
social benefits
• Medicinal plants as NWFPs generate only part-time employment
• Additional part-time workers are often seasonally employed
• The most common production unit is home-based
• This is mainly caused by the difficulty in obtaining raw materials, the
lower prices

21. Threats
The resurgence of traditional medicine in Sri Lanka
The concomitant demand for plant material to treat patients in
the hospitals and spas that are mushrooming throughout the
country
The over-exploitation of natural plant populations to meet this
demand
The waste of material due to erratic harvesting, poor storage
and lack of proper marketing and transportation. E.g: Munronia, it is
the dried plant that is used in medicine and if the drying has been insufficient, the
whole consignment will be attacked by fungus and rejected by the market. Such wastage
is a common feature in this trade and seriously endangers the species being exploited

22. Threats
The tendency still is for collection from the wild, often on a
scale detrimental to the viability of populations. This is because
fresh plants fetch very low prices compelling vendors to sell in
bulk e.g: 200 plants of the herb Munronia purmila an almost universal ingredient in
many prescriptions, are uprooted to produce 1 kg of material. A collector will need
about 200 plants to make his expedition up and down rocky terrain worthwhile. This
might mean the denudation of the whole microhabitat of this endemic species
Forest fires (Natural/Man made)
Land slides
Floods
Overgrazing

23. Progress so far…
The project 3320
Was launched in June 1986 and reviewed in 1991
Objectives:
• To advise the government on the need to protect medicinal plants in their natural habitats and
to declare suitable areas as National Reserves for use on a sustainable basis.
• To conduct surveys of selected geographical zones to prepare checklist of plants correctly
identified, and to assess population densities in order to determine threats to survival.
• To identify threatened species in order to propagate them using modern methods (e.g. tissue
culture) in island-wide nurseries and reintroduce them into their natural habitats if and when
necessary.
• To assist the Government in framing appropriate laws to ensure protection and to control
commercial exploitation of important species.
• To assist the Government in preparing educational and publicity programmes to promote
awareness and thus facilitate long-term conservation activities.

24. Progress so far…
“Osu Govi Gammana” (Herbal farmer Village)- a joint project of Forest Department
Establishing large scale plantations of medicinal plants to Ensure continuous supply enough to the
demand
◦ E.g. Kebithigollewa, Medawachchiya- katuwelbatu
◦ To supply 15% of the demand- 25000 kg
◦ 65000 rupees per 1000 kg
Providing lands for plantations
Providing suitable planting materials
Providing technological knowledge
Giving market opportunities
The ministry of indigenous medicine has started a program for preserving veddas culture and share
knowledge with while cultivation medicinal plants and practicing their own medical practices with the
collaboration of Ministry of Cultural Affairs

25. Advantage of having medicinal
gardens
• Higher yield can be obtained
• Demand is high
• Can store and sell at a proper price
• Less pest attacks and diseases
• Low capital cost
• Can intercrop

26. Conserved areas for Medicinal
Plants
• Bibila – Intermediate zone savanna
• Ritigala- Dry zone forest
• Rajawaka- Intermediate forest
• Naula- Intermediate forest
• Kanneliya- Lowland rain forest

27. Recommendations
•A comprehensive survey is needed to assess the present stock of medicinal gardens
and to study
•Both quantitative and qualitative data of the employment generation pattern of this
industry are needed
•Conducting Awareness Programs
•Most non-wood forest products do not fetch their proper prices in the market because
of poor quality. People engaged in this industry have to be educated to new methods
to improve the quality of the produce
•Research programs have to be strengthened to propagate the rare and very important
non-wood forest products
•More assistance is required for continuing research carried out by the universities and
the Forest Department
•Propagation of the herbs at the village garden level will contribute towards ex-situ
conservation of these rare herbs and generate income for the rural poor

28. Personal Contacts
H. M. Mohideen & Sons,
Main road,
Kekirawa.
Ritigala Aushadhalaya,
Main road,
Kekirawa.

29. References
De Alwis, Lyn(1997) A bio cultural medicinal plants conservation project in Sri Lanka,
Medicinal plants for forest conservation and health care, FAO
Frank D. S. K., Niranjan F. and Gunasena H. P. M. (2006) Marketing and consumer
preference on herbal/medicinal beverages, The Sunday Observer 01st January 2006
Forest Department Sri Lanka (1995), Non wood forest products, Forestry sector master plan
National forest product statistics, Sri Lanka- FAO corporate document repository: Forest
Department Sri Lanka
Bandarathilake, H.M. National forest policy review available at
https://www.scribd.com/doc/27047662/national-forest-policy-review-sri-lanka As at 1200
on 29.10.2015

30. Herbal plant catalogue, Asian cuttings lanka (pvt.) Ltd.
Sri Bharathie, K.P (2014) Non- wood forest products in Asia- Sri Lanka; Publication of
Forest Department
Herbal Plants, Sri Lanka Herbal Plants Suppliers Directory on www.Alibaba.com 1999-
2015
Forest department (2007), “වවමු ඔසු තුරැ,රකිමු වන තුරැ” “Ruk” magazine, forest
department, Vol 15 (Aug- Dec)